Magnesium oxide capping with a shorted path for perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction devices and method for fabrication

Abstract

A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device includes a pinned layer, a tunnel barrier layer on the pinned layer, and a free layer on the tunnel barrier layer. The MTJ device also includes a perpendicular magnetic anisotropic (PMA) enhancement layer on the free layer, a capping layer on the PMA enhancement layer, and a conductive path electrically shorting the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer and the free layer. A method of fabricating a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) device includes forming a capping layer, a perpendicular magnetic anisotropic (PMA) enhancement layer and a free layer. The method also includes forming a conductive layer to short the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer and the free layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device, comprising:
 a pinned layer; 
 a tunnel barrier layer on the pinned layer; 
 a free layer on the tunnel barrier layer; 
 a perpendicular magnetic anisotropic (PMA) enhancement layer on the free layer; 
 a capping layer on the PMA enhancement layer; and 
 a conductive path along a sidewall of the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer, and the free layer, and electrically shorting only the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer, and the free layer. 
 
     
     
       2. The MTJ device of  claim 1 , in which the conductive path comprises a re-deposited conductive material resulting from etching. 
     
     
       3. The MTJ device of  claim 1 , in which the conductive path comprises a deposited conductive material after etching. 
     
     
       4. The MTJ device of  claim 1 , in which the conductive path further comprises a plurality of vias. 
     
     
       5. The MTJ device of  claim 1 , in which the PMA enhancement layer comprises aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, hafnium oxide, and tantalum oxide. 
     
     
       6. The MTJ device of  claim 1 , in which the MTJ device comprises a perpendicular MTJ (pMTJ) device. 
     
     
       7. The MTJ device of  claim 1  integrated into a mobile phone, a set top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a computer, a hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) unit, a portable data unit, and/or a fixed location data unit. 
     
     
       8. A method of fabricating a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) device, comprising:
 forming a capping layer, a perpendicular magnetic anisotropic (PMA) enhancement layer and a free layer; and 
 forming a conductive layer along a sidewall of the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer, and the free layer to short only the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer and the free layer. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , in which forming the conductive layer comprises etching the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and/or the free layer to induce re-depositing of the conductive layer on the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer, and the free layer. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , in which forming the conductive layer comprises depositing a conductive material on the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer, and the free layer. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , in which forming the conductive layer further comprises fabricating vias to couple the capping layer, through the PMA enhancement layer to the free layer. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising integrating the pMTJ device into a mobile phone, a set top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a computer, a hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) unit, a portable data unit, and/or a fixed location data unit. 
     
     
       13. A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device, comprising:
 a pinned layer; 
 a tunnel barrier layer on the pinned layer; 
 a free layer on the tunnel barrier layer; 
 a perpendicular magnetic anisotropic (PMA) enhancement layer on the free layer; 
 a capping layer on the PMA enhancement layer; and 
 means for electrically shorting only the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer and the free layer arranged along a sidewall of the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer, and the free layer. 
 
     
     
       14. The MTJ device of  claim 13 , in which the shorting means comprises a re-deposited conductive material resulting from etching. 
     
     
       15. The MTJ device of  claim 13 , in which the shorting means comprises a deposited conductive material after etching. 
     
     
       16. The MTJ device of  claim 13 , in which the shorting means further comprises a plurality of vias. 
     
     
       17. The MTJ device of  claim 13 , in which the PMA enhancement layer comprises aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, hafnium oxide, and tantalum oxide. 
     
     
       18. The MTJ device of  claim 13 , in which the MTJ device comprises a perpendicular MTJ (pMTJ) device. 
     
     
       19. The MTJ device of  claim 13  integrated into a mobile phone, a set top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a computer, a hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) unit, a portable data unit, and/or a fixed location data unit. 
     
     
       20. A method of fabricating a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) device, comprising the steps of:
 forming a capping layer, a perpendicular magnetic anisotropic (PMA) enhancement layer, and a free layer; and 
 forming a conductive layer along a sidewall of the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer, and the free layer to short only the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer, and the free layer. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , in which the step of forming the conductive layer comprises the step of etching the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and/or the free layer to induce re-depositing of the conductive layer on the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer, and the free layer. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 20 , in which the step of forming the conductive layer further comprises the step of depositing a conductive material on the sidewall of the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer, and the free layer. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 20 , in which the step of forming the conductive layer further comprises the step of fabricating vias to couple the capping layer, through the PMA enhancement layer to the free layer. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of integrating the pMTJ device into a mobile phone, a set top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a computer, a hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) unit, a portable data unit, and/or a fixed location data unit.